Air cleaner



vin

Patented Apr. 29, 1930 i FREDERICK sTEArTNEE, oEEM, orV BALTIMORE,MARYLAND .un CLEANER Application. led November 9, 1927. Serial No.232,063. l

My invention relates to improvements in air cleaners, and moreparticularly it relates to air cleaners adapted to supply clean air toengines. l

An object of the invention is to provide a device for removing all dust.at all speeds of the motor from the air entering the carburetor withoutaffecting the air supply to the carburetor.

A 'further object is to provide filtering means through' which the airwill normally pass' on its way through the cleaner to the carburetor butthrough which the air need not pass in case the filtering means shouldbecome clogged with dust, in which case `the filters will act as bafflesand the air will have a continuous passage from lthe atmosphere past thebaffles to the carburetor. An uninterrupted communication is thusestablished between the atmosphere and the intake to the carburetor, thefilters functioning entirelyas filters, but if the remote possibility oftheir becoming materially clogged or failing to function for any otherreason should materialize, which is most unlikely to happen, the filtersvwill actl as baffles and cleaned air Will 'be provided to thecarburetor in either case.

Thus thel invention is designed to obviate any interference with thenatural flow of air from the latmosphere to the carburetor or pump orother apparatus in connection with which the air cleaner may he used,and at the same time to effectively and at all times thoroughly cleanthe air. v

Other objects will appear from the following description and ycl aimsand from the drawgIhey invention consists in the features, corn.-bination, and arrangement of parts herein` after describedv andparticularly pointed out in the claims. v v

In the drawings: v

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an air cleaner embodying myinvention. ig. 2 is an end View of the cleaner.

Referring to the drawings 1 is a cylindrical metal housing having aclosed end 2.- At the l opposite end of the housing 1 is mounted a' head3 having openings 4 for the entrance of air. The head 3 has an annularflange 5 50 adapted to receive the housing. The head 3 is also providedwith a concentric flanges?)a providing a central circular opening 6through the head. Mounted in the circular opening 6 and secured to thehead by any suit- 55 able means is a nipple or cylinder 7 which is fadapted to be connected with the intake of the c carburetor and throughwhich the air in leavingl the cleaner must pass. In the constructionshown the cylinder 7 is fastened in place o in the head by means of acotter pin or bolt 8 passing through aligned holes 9 in the cylinder 7and flange 5l of the head. The pin 8 passes through an eye 10 in a tierod 11 which extends through the air cleaner from one end 65 to theother and is secured on the outside of the closed end 2 of' the housing1 by a nut 12 receivcd'on its threaded end 13.

The cylinder 7 is provided with openings 14 in that portion of its wallwhich is within 70 the housing. The cylinder wall is increased inthickness at l5 to provide a should-er to be engaged by the head 3. Thecylinder 7 at its inner end is reduced in thickness at 16 to receive theannular flange 17 of' the outlet end. 75 of filter unit 18. The bore ot'cylinder 7 is of uniform diameter throughout to provide for free passageof the air therethrough.

Filter unit 18 is cylindrical or tubular in form as are also filterunits 26, 31, and 34, 8U which are increasingly larger in diameter vanddisposed one within the other as will be descri ed. Each filter unitpreferably comprises a rectangular section of wire screening A formed orrolled into tubular shape with its er, opposite edges adjacent eachother and held in such tubular shape Within filter material B such asflannel felt or the like, which is sewn into tubular form previous tothe insertion of the tubular screen therein. Spring bands C oo areplaced withinthe screen at its ends to stress it against the filtermaterial B to hold the screen and filter material securel together. Overthe ends of the Vseveral tuliular filter units are placed cups or capsof metal or the like which act as reinforcements and means of connectionwith other parts of the apparatus. .l

he annularflange 17 of the outlet end of filter unit 18 forms a part ofcap 19 covering one end of said filter unit. The-cap 19 is provided witha central aperture 20 adapted for the passage of air and the area ofwhich bears a definite relationship to thecombined area of the apertures14.

As shown, the area of aperture 2O is considerably less than the combinedarea of aperture 14 and the airwill normally pass through apertures 14 Irather than through aperture 20 because the former is the path of leastre-- sistance.

Cap 21 on the opposite end of filter unit 18 is provided with openings22 and has a projection 23 adapted to be received in an open'- ing 24 inthe closed cap 25 of filter unit 26. The opposite end of filter unit 26is covered by a 'cap 27 surrounding and engaging the cap 19. The cap 27has aperturesy 28 therein and has feet or lugs 29 spaced apart about itsperiphery. The lugs 29 bear against the inner face of closed cap 30 offilter unit 31. Cap 30 has spaced apart feet or lugs 32 which bearagainst cap 33 of filter unit 34. Filter unit 31 at its opposite end hasan open cap 35 the peripheral end edge 36 of which engages the flange 37of ring cap 38 on the end of filter unit 34. A facing plate 39 havingsuitable apertures therein is placed over the rod 11, which extendsthrough aligned bores in the various elements of the apparatus. A spacer40 is also provided to separate the facing plate from the closed end 2of the housing. The tie rod 11 serves to securely hold all of the partsin their proper relative positions.

Caps 30 and 33 surround and closely fit the cylinder 7 which extendsthrough suitable central apertures in said caps.

In the operation of the air cleaner, air from the atmosphere entersannular chamber D and normally passes therefrom through filter 34 intoannular chamber E and-thence past lugs or feet 32 into chamber F throughapertures 14 and cylinder 7 to the carburetor, engine or pump.

Should filter 34 for any reason fail tosupply sufiicient air to meet thedemands'of the engine or pump then air will pass over lter 34 to spaceor chamber G where some of the dust will remain due to changing thedirection ofthe air. From chamber G the air will pass through annularopening H into chamber J from whence it will normally pass throughfilter 31 into chamber E and thence to F and out as before.

^ and If for any reason air in addition'to what passes through filters34 and 31, is required by the engine, air will pass to chamber J throughD and G as before and will pass through filter 26, or if greater supplyis needed, will pass around the end thereof past lugs 29 and throughholes 28, into chamber K. From chamber K the air Will pass to chamber Lthrough filter 18, or, if greater supply of air is reqluired, will passaround the end thereof t irough lholes 22. From chamber L the additionalair as required Will pass through orifice 20, the area of which bears adefinite relation to the combined area of apertures ,14, and thenthrough cylinder 7 to the carburetor or the like. y

The cleaner provides a plurality of filters through which yairmay passbutshould the air be prevented from assing through a filter or filtersor even retar ed in its passage therethrough, additional air as requiredwill reach the carburetor after being cleaned by repeat- `cd 'reversalof direction Without said additional air having necessarily passedthrough a single filter, the filters in such case functioning purely asbaffles. InA other Words, a complete open passageway from the inlet tothe outlet of the cleaner is provided and at all times maintainedthrough which a large per-V .centage of required air may be deliveredindependently of air passing through the filters should passage throughthe filters belmaterially retarded or prevented, which is a remotepossibility. In the event'that the filters should be renderedinoperative as filters, they will continue to be operative to clean airby functioning as baffles.

It'will be apparent that many changes may be made in the cleaner Withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention.

lVith this invention the air supply to the carburetor is inno'wayimpaired lor diminished, the lessened pressure in the carburetoris obviously not increased by the cleaner through which air may passfreely and volumetric efliciency will remain unimpaired.

I claim:

1. lIn combination in an air cleaner, a housing having a centralcircular outlet and an annular inlet surrounding said outlet, a seriesof tubular filter units, the diameters of which vary b increments, saidlter units being arrange in series one Within another and providing acontinuous open passage from inlet to outlet, independent of theexisting air passage through the Walls of said filter, said passagecompletely reversing its direction a plurality of times.

2. In combination in an air cleaner havingan inlet and an outlet, aseries of tubular filter units the diameters of which vary byincrements, said filter units being arranged in series one withinanother and providing a continuous open passage from inlet to outletindependent of the existing air passage through the walls of saidfilters, said passage completely reversing its direction a plurality oftimes.

3. In an air cleaner having an inlet and an outlet, a filter throughWhich all required air will norm ally pass,said cleaner having a seriesof apertures between the filter and sald outlet, through which the airwhich passes through said filter must pass to reach the outlet, saidcleaner having an open by-pass from said inlet to said outlet throughwhich additional air may pass if required, said by-pass including anaperture, the area of said by-pass aperture being less than the combinedarea of said series of apertures and bearing a definite relationthereto.

4. In an air cleaner having an inlet and an outlet, a tubular filterthrough which all rep quired air Will normally pass to the outlet, a

series of tubular filters Within said first mentioned filter, saidfilters being capable of functioning either as filters or baffles inthat said filters are spaced apart to provide an open passage from saidinlet to said outlet through which additional air will pass as required.

5. In an air cleaner having an inlet and an outlet, a tubular filterthrough which all required air will normally pass to the outlet, aseries of tubular filters within said first mentioned filter, -disposedone within another, said filters being capable of functioning either asfilters or as baffles, in that said filters are of varying'lengths toprovide an open passage from said inlet to said outlet through whichadditional air will pass if and as re uired.

6. yIn an air cleaner having an in et and an outlet, a tubular filterthrough the wall of which all required air will normally pass to theoutlet, said cleaner having a series of apertures between the filter andsaid outlet through whichv the air which passes through the filter wallmust pass to reach the outlet, a series of filters within said firstmentioned filter disposed one within another` said filters being capableof functioning either as filters orA as baffles, in that they are ofvarying lengths and diameters and provide an open passage from saidinlet to said outlet through which additional air will pass if and asrequired, said passage including an aperture the area of which is lessthan the combined area of said series of apertures and which bears adefinite relation to said combined area.

7. In an air cleaner having an inlet and an outlet, a tubular filterthrough the wall of which all required air will normally pass to theoutlet, said cleaner having a series of apertures between the filter andsaid outlet through which the air which passes through the filter Wallmust pass to reach the outlet, a series of tubular filters within saidfirst mentioned filter disposed one Within another, the outermost filterof said series being capable of passing air therethrough to said seriesof apertures, said filters being capable of functioning either asfilters or as baffles in that they are of varying lengths and diametersto provide an open passage from said inlet to said outlet through whichadditional air will pass as required.

8.A device according to claim 7 in which said open passage includes anaperture the area of which is less than the combined area of said seriesof apertures.

9. In an air cleaner a series of tubular filters of varying diametersplaced one Within another to provide both filtering means and an opentortuous passageway continuous from inlet to outlet of said cleaner tosupplement the filtering means and to provide additional air ifnecessary.

10. In an air cleaner having a central circular outlet, and an annularinlet surrounding said outlet, a plurality of tubular filter membersdisposed one within another and being of varying lengths to provide acircuitous open by-pass between said inlet and outlet, said by-passterminating in an aperture communicating with said outlet, and directlyin line therewith, said cleaner having radially facing apertures betweensaid inlet and outlet and adapted to conduct air normally passingthrough said filters to said outlet.

11. In an air cleaner comprising a tubular casing having a peripheralannular inlet and an axial outlet at one end, the opposite end beingclosed, a series ofy tubular filters Within said casing disposed inspaced apart relation one with another, and decreasing in length as theydecrease in diameter, the outermost tubular filter extending from theinner side of the peripheral annular inlet to a point spaced from theclosed end of the casing, the second filter being flush with theoutermost filter at the closed end of the casing but terminating shortof the outlet end of the casing to provide for the passage of airdirectly through the outermost filter Wall to said outlet, the thirdfilter being flush with the seeond filter at the closed end of thecasing but terminating short of the second filter at its opposite end,the fourth and innermost filter having an outlet tube extension. to apoint beyond the end of the second filter toward the outlet end of thecasing and terminating short of the third filter at the other end toprovide through this end of the fourth filter a direct communicationAwith said outlet, a wall spaced from the closed end of the casing andclosing the annular space between the outer and second filter, a wallspaced from the outlet end of the casing and closing the annular spacebetween the second and fourth filter, and a wall at the closed end ofthe casing closing the corresponding end of the third filter.

12. An air cleaner according to claim 11 in which said outlet tubeextension from the fourth filter is provided adjacent the outlet with anannular series of radially facing apertures establishing directcommunication between the outlet and the Iinner side of the wall of theoutermost lter, 'said outlet tube having a partition therein betweensaid series of apertures and said fourth lter, said partition having anopening therethrough which bears a definite relation to said apertures;

In testimony whereof, I alix my signature.

FREDERICK STRATTNER OREM.

